Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 06:46 PM by Giorgos Tsekas
Genre: Heavy Metal/Doom
Country: Sweden
Label: Metal Blade Records
Year: 2023
Since their rebirth in 2010, Sorcerer released three almost excellent metal albums, and seem they won’t look back again…Sorcerer since the brilliant return in 2015 ‘In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross’ found the perfect doses of epic and doom in their song writing approaching. In 2017 they may gave an extra boost to epic elements; ‘The Crowning Of The Fire King’, was another victory and led to 2020’s concept album ‘Lamenting Of The Innocent’ that introduced longer tracks and why not more complicated, but all three albums had something in common: Heavy riffs, soaring vocals and catchy choruses. If you listen to their new 4th studio length effort entitled ‘Reign Of The Reaper’ you’ll meet again their established sound at its finest. An almost emblematic atmosphere, sometimes like hearing a motion picture soundtrack, gloomy and always epic with excellent lyrical work and some of the most outstanding songs the band had ever written are featuring in the 47 minutes that the album lasts.
The band holed up in their home studios and wrote music all through 2022 and then once again headed to SolnaSound Recording in Stockholm, the studio owned, run and operated by Simon Johansson (Wolf, Soilwork) with Mike Wead (King Diamond) assisting, to record the drums. SORCERER likes to work with a small, tried and trusted team so therefore they once again employed the services of Ronnie Björnström (engineering/mixing/ mastering) and Jani Stefanovic dealing with thecover art for the singles & artwork booklet/packaging design (these guys have been working with the band since the first album). The performance of the band’s members is importantly impressive, full of passion, especially Engberg sounds iconic while the rhythm section by Evensand and Biggs is pretentious. We can hear even Power Metal and old-school/traditional Heavy Metal elements and parts as in the shocking opener ‘Morning Star’ and a Black Sabbath Tony Martin era in the breathtaking ‘Eternal Sleep’ and ‘Thy Kingdom Will Come’. Amazing guitars spread in the entirety of the album executed by Niemann and Hallgren and then a bunch of extraordinary solos too (some of the coolest here we can hear in ‘Curse of Medusa’). Another highlight is the title track ‘Reign Of The Reaper’ with its catchy as hell chorus and it’s many twists and turns.
To make a long story short ‘Reign Of The Reaper’ is a well-crafted album showing a band probably in its finest moment that hopefully forebodes for something bigger that comes this way…
